Game-board or toy



Sept. 8, 1936. E. L. WHITEHALL GAME BOARD OR TOY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 29, 1935 l-ICIME RUN E M a.

I all! p 9 E. L. WHITEHALL 2,053,754

GAME BOARD OR TOY Filed March 29, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 flag/Z502? EARL E L W ll TEl/ALL Patented Sept. 8, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

My present invention relates to a game or toy and it has particular reference to a game which simulates the well-known game of base-ball. The structure which I have devised for playing the game, while shown in connection with a base-ball field, is, of course, capable of adaptation to other games, such as foot-ball, golf, and the like where points are scored and penalties are imposed upon the players. I

The playing'board, to which my invention is more particularly directed, comprises an open box-like main body consisting of a rectangular bottom and upstanding sides, and spaced above the-bottom isa second plate or false-bottom upon which abase-ball field, is; laid out, the different zones-or areas thereon which provide the goals and penalties are designated by means of openings made in the upper plate. There is an entrance aperture upon the infield, at about the location of the pitchers box, and there is a ramp that leads from the bottom of thepbox toan edge of the entrance aperture to provide egress for a ball with which thegame is played. v j

The whole structure is tiltable so that the player may discharge the playing token or ball upon the infield, and then by giving a sudden tilt to the structure, in a different direction from the initial tilting, may direct the ball or token towards the goals. Practically all of the usual situations occurring in a base-ball gamemay be played with the structure which I have devised.

The article is fabricated in a novel manner from sheet-metal so that there are practically no parts to get out of order, and the assembly of the parts, as well as the parts themselves, have been designed for economic manufacture so that the game may be sold for a moderate retail price. The structure is-dependable and is sturdy in construction and provides a game that is entertaining, and may be played by any number of persons, either singly or in a group.

The structure of the game-board which 'I-have devised is capable of embodiment in a small game board to, be held in the hand while being played, or it maybe enlarged to the size of a card table and mounted upon a suitable support or pedestal upon which it may be tilted during the playing of the. game. d

I prefer to practice my invention and obtain the advantages hereinbefore set forth by means of the structure. now to be described and which is shown in the accompanying drawings.

- In the drawings:-

. Figure 1 is a top plan, drawn full size, of my game. board made inthe smaller hand variety.

Figure 2 is a plan showing details of themclined ramp and its guard walls, the upper plate being removed for clearness and the view being fragmentary.

Figure 3 is a'view, partly in section, on line '5 33 of Figure 1, showing the token or ball approaching the ramp.

Figure 4 is a view similar to- Figure 3, showing the structure tilted in order to discharge the-token or ball upon the playing field.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail in vertical section showing the assembly of the rampand' guide-way;

Figure 6 is a vertical section, enlarged, through an edge of the playing board. I

Figure 7 is a side View, on a greatly reduced scale, showing alarger size game-board that is mounted upon a pedestal or stand.

The drawings are to be understood as more or less schematic for the purpose of illustrating typical or preferred forms in which my invention may be made, and in these drawings, like reference characters designate like parts wherever such parts appear. I

Referring more particularly to Figures 1 to 6, inclusive, it will be seen the structure comprises a bottom member ID, consisting ofa rectangular metal plate having side walls ll disposed laterally thereto so as to provide a shallow box-like body structure. About midway their height the side walls are bent inwardly as at I2 so that the upper portions of the walls incline slightly inwardly as shown. A horizontal plate l3 provides a false bottom for the box-like structure above mentioned that is spaced above the bottom l0 and.

has its edges bent upwardly inside and then downwardly outside the inclined upper portions: of the walls ll so that U-shaped members M are provided, the adjacent faces of which are pressed together with the walls I l between them to provide a stable structure. r

The plate l3 forming the false bottom has a base-ball infield and outfield represented thereon, as well as the usual foul lines. Beyond the three fielders stations and adjacent the walls H, are suitable goals or coveted areas which are shown herein as round holes 15, althoughit will be underareas and are elliptical in outline and are in the form of elongated holes |6 formed in the plate I3, but may be in the form of shallow depressions. Adjacent the three bases and the short-stop are other goals or coveted areas which are in the form of elliptical holes I! substantially of the same dimensions as the holes IS. The fielders stations IS, the short stop and the basemens stations I! are designated as penalties. At the outer ends of the foul lines there are holes |8 in the plate |3 which are likewise designated for penalties.

In the corner portions adjacent the home-plate is a penalty goal in the form of a round hole I9, designated as a strike and upon each side of the hole l9 are round holes 20 that are designated as balls.

The token or member with which the game is played is in the form of a metal ball, of a size permitting it to pass through the small holes designated as home-runs or the small holes 20 designated as balls.

The token is deposited through any of the holes so that it will fall to the bottom of the box-like structure and the structure is then tilted so as to discharge the token upon the infield. Skill is then required to tilt the board in a manner to direct the ball toward one of the scoring goals or coveted areas. The manner of playing the game is indicated schematically in Figures 3 and 4.

Provision is made for readily transferring the ball or token from the bottom to the upper plate. This is in the form of an entrance aperture 2| on the infield at about the location of the pitchers box, and an upwardly inclined ramp 22 extending from the bottom I0 to an edge of the entrance aperture 2|. This ramp 22 is an elongated tapered tongue out out of the plate forming the bottom l0, which tongue is bent upwardly oblique to the planes of the bottom and false-bottom as shown. In order to'close the open space thus made in the bottom, a keystone-shaped metal strip 23 is wedged at one end under the ramp and at its other end is secured in place by a tongue 24 stamped out of the bottom plate ID as detailed in Figures 2 to 5.

Guard walls 25 are disposed along each edge of the ramp and consist of an elongated metal strip of a width to fit between the bottom and the false-bottom or upper plate |3. This metal strip is bent midway its end to provide the converging V-shaped guard walls 25 that fiare away from each other beyond the ramp, and which, at their end nearest each other are connected by a transverse web or member 26 that is notched out in its upper portion to provide a seat 21 on which the adjacent end portion of the ramp rests as shown in enlarged detail in Figure 5.

A lug 28, upturned from the closure strip 23, engages the lower portion of the web 26 below the seat and aids in maintaining the before-mentioned parts in assembly. The plate I3 is provided with a shallow tapered channel 29 that extends from the edge of the entrance aperture 2| towards or to the home-plate (see Fig. 1), and said channel becomes shallower as it approaches the home-plate. This channel 29 forms a continuation of the ramp 22 and directs the moving ball or token normally towards the holes l9 and 20 designated as strike and ball, but it will be understood that the player who is operating the game-board in the hands may quickly tilt the board to another plane after or while the ball is moving inthe channel, thus causing the ball to be directed towards the goals or coveted areas IS, in an attempt to secure hits or runs. Should the ball, however, fall into any of the holes l6, H or I8, the player is penalized by an out.

If desired, the end of the ramp 22 next to or abutting the edge of entrance aperture 2| may be provided with a shouldered lip 36 that projects under the adjacent edge of said opening, thus providing arrangement of a very sturdy construction that prevents the assembled elements becoming dislodged or separated from hard usage.

The structure which has been above described and shown in Figures 1 to 6 inclusive,.is of a size approximately that shown in Figures 1, 3, and 4 and is adapted to be used or held in the hands of the players so that it may be readily and quickly tilted in one direction or the other while playing the game.

In Figure '7, however, the game-board, which is here designated as 3|, is preferably a table top, approximately the size of a portable or foldable card-table. This board is mounted upon a base 32 0f convex shape that is provided with a centrally disposed socket 33 to permit it to be readily mounted upon or dismounted from a pedestal 34 or other suitable support. The game-board 3| and the bottom member 32 may be placed upon any level surface and tilted upon the convex portion of the bottom. When mounted upon the pedestal 34, the latter is preferably provided with a flexible extension 35 that may be in the form of a coiled or spiral spring so that it may be readily flexed in any direction when the player tilts the table top upon the pedestal.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the structure may be of a miniature size for use in the hands of the players or may be either mounted upon the pedestal when played or may be removedfrom the pedestal and placed upon a library or dining room table. The principle of structure and arrangement and disposition of the parts of the game-board are substantially the same in these several types.

What I claim is:-

1. A game or toy comprising a titltable structure consisting of spaced superposed plates, side members extending upward and inward from the edges of said plates, and bounding a playing area on the upper plate, the side members ofone plate being folded down over the side members of the other plate, said upper plate having a smooth surface provided with a plurality of goals on the playing area and an entrance aperture, and means for guiding a spherical token from the lower plate and depositing it through said aperture upon the playing area where said token may be freely directed toward any goal by tilting the entire structure.

2. A game or toy comprising a tiltable structure consisting of spaced superposed plates, side members extending upward and inward from the edges of said plates, and bounding a playing area on the upper plate, the side members of one plate being folded down over the side members of the other plate, said upper plate having a smooth surface provided with a plurality of goal openings and an entrance aperture on the play ing area, and means for guiding a spherical token from the lower plate to the playing area by passage through said entrance aperture, whereby the structure is adapted to be tilted to move the token freely toward any goal through which the token is returned to the lower plate.

3. A game board comprising an upper plate having afiat unobstructed playing surface upon which a ball may freely move in all directions, said plate provided with goal openings permitting the ball to pass through said plate, said plate also having an entrance aperture intermediate said goal openings and through which the ball is returned to the playing surface, a lower plate spaced from said upper plate to receive the ball when passed through a goal opening, an inclined runway leading from the lower plate to a remote edge of the entrance aperture and extending towards one or more goal openings, and guides upon the sides of said runway, whereby the ball when disposed upon the lower plate may be directed along said runway between said guides and through said entrance aperture to initiate a play upon the upper plate.

4. A game board comprising an upper plate having a flat unobstructed playing surface upon which a ball may freely move in all directions,

said plate provided with goal openings permitting the ball to pass through said plate, said plate also having an entrance aperture intermediate said goal openings and through which the ball is returned to the playing surface, a lower plate spaced from said upper plate to receive the ball when passed through a goal opening, an inclined runway leading from the lower plate to a remote edge of said entrance aperture and extending towards one or more goal openings, and guides upon the sides of said runway and extending a distance upon said lower plate, whereby the ball when disposed upon the lower plate is directed by said guides to the runway and along said runway to and through said entrance aperture to initiate a play upon the upper plate.

EARLE L. WHITEHALL. 

